Hair curler



United States Patent O HAIR CURLER Quentin W. Rogers and Earl R. Hutchins, Eugene, Oreg.

Application May 31, 1952, Serial No. 290,974

4 Claims. (Cl. 132-33) This invention relates to hair curlers andv it has reference more particularly to hair curlers which are designed for use primarily by hair dressers or hair stylists but which may also be used by an individual in setting or styling her own hair; the hair curler which embodies this invention being designed for the making of what is known in the art as Sculptured curls or pin curls.

The invention hereinafter disclosed and described is in some respects an improvement on the invention disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,523,062, dated Sept. 19, 1950.

The numerous disadvantages of the commonly used hairpins or bobby pins, to hold a curl in place are set forth in the above identified patent, and also the patent sets forth the advantages of using a tube and the winding of a wisp of hair thereabout for the formation of a curl.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a hair curler which inherently possesses all the advantages set forth in the above identified patent, and in addition thereto provides a more positive and easier to apply securing means whereby the tube on which the curl is formed may be held in a xed, or positive position while the curl is setting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hair curler which is formed in two parts, namely the tubular member about which the curl is formed, and a holding member, which may be easily joined or locked together to retain them in the desired specific relationship during the hair drying or setting period.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tube holding means that may be placed in the hair in the desired position prior to the interlocking of the tube therewith.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hair curler which is simple in its construction and inex` pensive to manufacture.

Still further objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the parts thereof and in their interrelationship, and in the manner of using the curler as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, l have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. l is a view illustrating the application of hair curlers, embodying the features of the invention, to the hair.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the manner of winding a wisp of hair onto the tubular member of the curler prior to the interlocking of the member with the securing device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, perspective view of the present device shown in its preferred form of construction, with the parts thereof interlocked or joined together after the hair has been wound on the tubular member to form a curl.

Fig. 4 is the cross-section taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- The curler, in its present preferred form of construction, comprises the securing member in the form of a short section of a comb, designated in its entirety by reference numeral 10, and the curl forming member comprising a short tubular section designated in its entirety by reference numeral 11. As is best illustrated in Fig. 3, the comb like section is equipped with means whereby the tubular section can be joined or locked lCe thereto and thereby held substantially at right angles to the face of the comb.

The comb portion 10 is relatively small, having a width approximately equal to the width of a common pocket comb, and it is approximately one inch in length and comprises a series of comb teeth 12. The particular construction of the comb is not in itself a material feature of this invention, except that along one side of the back, adjacent the inner end of the teeth, a securing or holding means for the curl former is provided. This is in the form of a bar herein designated in its entirety by reference numeral 15. This bar, in the present instance, is secured to the face of the comb longitudinally thereof by pins or screws 17-17 through its ends. It is possible, and may be desirable, that the bar be molded from plastic or rubber as an integral part of the comb, and no pins or screws would then be required for attaching it to the comb.

To adapt this bar for use as a securing or locking means, I provide a transverse passage 18 between the bar and comb. This is medially of the ends of the bar and is formed by recessing portions of adjoining surfaces of the comb and bar. The purpose of the passage or channel will hereinafter be fully described.

The tubular member 11 which constitutes the curl former and which is used in combination with the comblike element comprises a relatively short section of tubing, preferably of plastic, which has a plurality or series of small holes 20 formed therein and opening through the walls of the tube to the interior thereof. The purpose of these holes is to permit the drying air which enters the open end of the tube to escape through the holes and to aid in the hair drying process. At its inner end, the tube has a base member 21 secured rigidly thereto. This is formed with fiat radially extending arms 22 lying in a plane that is at a right angle to the axial line of the tube. The particular shape and construction of the base member 21 may be varied without departing from the teaching of this invention. As is best illustrated in Fig. 4, the radially directed arms are slightly tapered to reduce their thickness at the outer ends thereof. The tube and the base member might be separately formed and then joined togetherpor they might be molded from plastic as an integral or single piece.

With the parts of the device so formed, they are used or applied in forming hair curls in the following manner: as described in the previously mentioned patent, the hair is dampened and combed and the particular style of hair dress is determined by the hairdresser or by the individual setting her own hair. The hair is then blocked off and combed out in wisps. Then, for each wisp, a comb-like securing member 10 is inserted through the wisp of hair close to the head as illustrated in Fig. 2. The outer end of the wisp is then wound upon the tube in a relatively tight manner, with the ends of the hair beneath the outer turns, so as to be at the inside of the curl, until the tube reaches a position relatively close to the head or scalp of the person whose hair is being dressed. The tube is then turned at right angle and a selected radial arm is projected into the channel 18 as is best illustrated in Fig. 3 and is securely wedged therein. As distinguished from the invention disclosed in the above identified patent, it is not necessary that tension be applied to the hair so as to hold the curler in its fixed or desired position. The comb portion is of sufficient size that when the tubular portion is joined therewith, as in Fig. l, the hair will be held in the position desired without causing an uncomfortable effect upon the head or scalp. The process is repeated until all of the desired curls have been formed.

After the curl has been wound upon the tube and the tube portion joined with the comb portion, the curl may be pushed down on the tube so as to compact the hair as required or desired during the drying period. After the hair is dry, the curler can be easily and quickly removed by disengaging the securing arm from the channel 18 and the hair may be easily slipped from the tube over its open end. After the curlers have been removed, the hair may be dressed or nished as desired.

Curlers of this kind may be made in various sizes and of various materials, such as metal, plastic or fiber and the particular material from which they are made or the exact design of size are not to be considered as limiting features of this invention. The size or diameter of the tube may vary depending upon the size of curls which it is desired to make. The hair curlers herein illustrated and described provide a simple and an easy to apply means for forming hair curls of uniform size and shape and they may be quickly applied by an experienced hair stylist or by an individual person when setting or dressing her own hair.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A hair curler of the character described comprising a securing portion and a curl forming portion; said securing portion comprising a short comb and a bar secured to a side surface of and along the back of the comb, and there being a transverse passage between the bar and back of the comb; said curl forming portion comprising a cylindrical tube adapted to havea wisp of hair wound thereon, and a base forming member integral therewith and including radially extending arms which lie in a plane at a right angle to the axial line of the tube and one of said arms projecting into said passage to hold the tubular portion in xed position relative to the comb po'tion after the wisp of hair has been wound onto the tu e.

2. A hair curler as in claim 1 wherein the radially extending arms are tapered toward their ends for wedging tit in the said transverse passage.

3. A hair curler as in claim 2 wherein the cylindrical tube is formed with a plurality of holes through the wall thereof.

4. A hair curler comprising a securing portion in the form of a short comb, and a curl forming portion in the form of a short tube about which a wisp of hair can be wound for curling; said securing portion including a bar secured to the comb along the back surface thereof and a passage opening between the bar and the back of comb; said short tube having a radially extending arm at one end thereof to project into the passage to mount the tube on the comb at a right angle thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,534,649 Witschi Dec. 19, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 736,036 France Sept. 12, 1932 

